06/21/2026
Father’s Day, Earthly Fathers, and the One Father Above
by David Owenby, written for St Michael Ministries, Inc.
Today’s Gospel reading for The Church gives us words from Christ that are deeply comforting, but also deeply instructive. In Matthew 10:26-33, RSV-CE, Jesus tells His followers not to be afraid. He says that even the sparrows are under the Father’s care, and then He reminds us, “you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31, RSV-CE). On this Father’s Day, that truth gives us a beautiful place to begin. Before we ever think about earthly fatherhood, we must first understand that all true fatherhood begins with God.
That is important, because when we look at the world around us, the subject of fathers can bring many different emotions. Some people had strong, faithful, loving fathers. Others had fathers who tried, but struggled. Some had fathers who were absent, distant, or even harmful. So here is the question: how do we speak about fatherhood when the experience of fathers is so different from one person to another? The answer is that we begin with the perfect pattern. We begin with the Father in Heaven.
Christ shows us that our heavenly Father sees, knows, and cares. He is not careless with His children. He is not distracted. He is not indifferent. He knows the hidden fears, the private burdens, the prayers we barely know how to speak. That alone should reshape how we think of fatherhood. Earthly fathers are called to reflect something of that love, that steadiness, that care, and that protection.
This brings us to a passage often misunderstood. Jesus says, “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9, RSV-CE). Some have tried to use that verse to argue that we should not call a priest “Father,” or even that the use of the word father itself is somehow wrong. But do we really see what Christ is saying there? He is not condemning the proper use of the word. He is condemning spiritual pride, hypocrisy, and the desire to seize titles in a way that competes with the glory of God.
How do we know that? Scripture explains Scripture. The commandment clearly says, “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12, RSV-CE). If Christ meant that no one could ever be called father in any earthly sense, that commandment would make no sense at all. And in 1 Corinthians 4:15, RSV-CE, Paul writes, “For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Paul was not exalting himself above God. He was describing a real spiritual relationship rooted in service, sacrifice, and truth.
So the real point to take away is this: there is only one ultimate Father, and that is God. But He allows earthly fatherhood, and even spiritual fatherhood, to exist as reflections of His own care. A biological father is rightly called father. A faithful spiritual shepherd may also rightly be called father. Neither title dishonors God when it is used in humility and truth. Instead, it points back to Him.
On Father’s Day, then, we should give thanks for the fathers who have loved, taught, protected, corrected, and sacrificed. We should pray for the fathers who are still learning how to lead well. And we should remember those who carry the wounds of fatherlessness, knowing that the Father in Heaven is never absent from His children.
Here’s the question for each of us today: whether we are fathers or not, are we reflecting the heart of the Father above? Are we living in a way that protects, encourages, and strengthens those entrusted to us? The world needs fathers who do more than provide. It needs fathers who pray, who stand firm, who love with patience, and who point their families toward God.
May this Father’s Day remind us that all faithful fatherhood begins, and finds its meaning, in the One Father who never fails.
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